How do people afford it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My children went through private K-8 and now are in a private HS (the 50k ones). I would not scrimp and save to put them in private with the good schools around here. We have a very high net worth where we can easily afford it, but if I were you I would go public all the way. Put that money into retirement.

I totally agree with this. Having one kid in both public and private and we can swing it without much impact to our life, but private is not the panacea many who pay for it make it out to be. There's alot of great public options. Move if you have to and make public work.

This response always gets me. How is it easier for people to move to a better school district than to afford private? Housing prices in many better school districts are astronomical. I'm in a not so great school district and our housing is still insane. Additionally just moving affects so many other parts of your life than just school. What about commute? What about friends? Activities? This is not the easy answer people on here seem to think it is.

Because selling a still insane house usually nets you a good school if you are willing to commute especially if you are moving from DCPS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our oldest and their spouse make the same as OP and sent their kid to public elementary school EOTP. After concluding reluctantly that the local middle and high schools weren’t viable options, they started playing the lottery and applying to privates. It was the last thing they wanted to do because they really didn’t want their kids going to school with a bunch of rich kids, plus they honestly didn’t want to put such a huge dent in their lifestyle. There are lots of things that can be done with kids with that kind of money that can benefit their growth just as much as private education.

Long story short, their kid got into several well known privates in DC but with virtually no financial aid. One very good school upped their offer to $10k in the end, but that still left a price tag of $40k plus and would only go up and they didn’t want to pay it. In the end, they sweated through the lottery and landed at a good option.

We have a lot more money than they do and we are very close with our grandkids. They never asked us to help and we never considered it. I think they knew we shared their philosophical revulsion at the idea of elite private schooling and also knew that we knew it was their choice entirely to live in the school district where they do.

Move along…

NP. It’s philosophically revolting yes. And if I were a parent who had to rely on my parents to pay my child’s private school tuition I’d be embarrassed.

I'm amused at calling private schools philosophically revolting while refusing to send your kids to the locally zoned schools and fishing around for a lottery and lucking out.

Err.... at least I'm not a hypocrite.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My children went through private K-8 and now are in a private HS (the 50k ones). I would not scrimp and save to put them in private with the good schools around here. We have a very high net worth where we can easily afford it, but if I were you I would go public all the way. Put that money into retirement.

I totally agree with this. Having one kid in both public and private and we can swing it without much impact to our life, but private is not the panacea many who pay for it make it out to be. There's alot of great public options. Move if you have to and make public work.

This response always gets me. How is it easier for people to move to a better school district than to afford private? Housing prices in many better school districts are astronomical. I'm in a not so great school district and our housing is still insane. Additionally just moving affects so many other parts of your life than just school. What about commute? What about friends? Activities? This is not the easy answer people on here seem to think it is.

For the vast majority it is obvious and easy. You move to the suburbs to a district you can afford and put up with the commute. And there are friends and activities everywhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My children went through private K-8 and now are in a private HS (the 50k ones). I would not scrimp and save to put them in private with the good schools around here. We have a very high net worth where we can easily afford it, but if I were you I would go public all the way. Put that money into retirement.

I totally agree with this. Having one kid in both public and private and we can swing it without much impact to our life, but private is not the panacea many who pay for it make it out to be. There's alot of great public options. Move if you have to and make public work.

This response always gets me. How is it easier for people to move to a better school district than to afford private? Housing prices in many better school districts are astronomical. I'm in a not so great school district and our housing is still insane. Additionally just moving affects so many other parts of your life than just school. What about commute? What about friends? Activities? This is not the easy answer people on here seem to think it is.

Exactly. And with interest rates where they are, the difference in that alone could pay for a huge chunk of private school.

[Anonymous]

It's bananas. My spouse and I together make less than one of your salaries, and private school tuition is totally financed by my trust fund. It's not fair, and if it hadn't been for the pandemic, I'm not sure I would have switched my older kid to private. I see what we are paying $$$$ for and sometimes, the teachers have no clue what they're doing. In private school, there's "doing," but they don't have to measure students' learning the way public school teachers do, and I honestly don't think they know how to help a kid grow as a reader or writer, much less hit their marks in the area of history content. (I know less about math and science so can't judge as well.) The extra-curriculars are great, and it's a relief knowing that there won't be many kids with distracting behavior, but my kid also doesn't know what low-income excellence looks like. I have taught in low-income schools, and it's amazing what some of my students can do with parents who have limited English skills, or 5 siblings at home. Maybe you're set on private and that's fine, but there's a lot you can learn from public school that you won't get in private.

signed, someone who is very likely a hypocrite, so don't bother slamming me

[Anonymous]

We make less than that and make it work. We simply prioritize education and cut expenses in other areas. No fancy Xmas ski vacations, no fancy cars, no cable TV, lower speed Internet, keep our cars for 20 years (and no leasing), live in an older house without fancy appliances, etc.

It is possible. It is all about priorities and choices.

[Anonymous]

Wait, this OP has a $750k mortgage and then mentioned they have $700-$800 equity, so they are living in a $1.5 million house and are asking about getting aid?! Or wondering “how to afford” it?!

If you were my next door neighbor you could afford it easily because houses on my street are less than half of yours.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our oldest and their spouse make the same as OP and sent their kid to public elementary school EOTP. After concluding reluctantly that the local middle and high schools weren’t viable options, they started playing the lottery and applying to privates. It was the last thing they wanted to do because they really didn’t want their kids going to school with a bunch of rich kids, plus they honestly didn’t want to put such a huge dent in their lifestyle. There are lots of things that can be done with kids with that kind of money that can benefit their growth just as much as private education.

Long story short, their kid got into several well known privates in DC but with virtually no financial aid. One very good school upped their offer to $10k in the end, but that still left a price tag of $40k plus and would only go up and they didn’t want to pay it. In the end, they sweated through the lottery and landed at a good option.

We have a lot more money than they do and we are very close with our grandkids. They never asked us to help and we never considered it. I think they knew we shared their philosophical revulsion at the idea of elite private schooling and also knew that we knew it was their choice entirely to live in the school district where they do.

Move along…

NP. It’s philosophically revolting yes. And if I were a parent who had to rely on my parents to pay my child’s private school tuition I’d be embarrassed.

Grandparents paying school tuition is a way to transfer future inheritance earlier. Plenty of people who can afford private still have grandparents paying. Nothing to be embarrassed of.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m a fed, DH works at a non-profit. We make 310 combined. 750k mortgage. No other debt. We want to send our two kids private, but at $40-50k a year per kid it doesn’t seem possible. Is there anyone in our situation that actually found a way to make this work?

You may get FA especially at a Big 3 or other wealthy school that has a large endowment. NCS does a good job in bringing in more "middle" income (for DC that is - anywhere else you are considered top tier). I assume they give some financial aid to these families and the rest you can pay over a 10 month payment plan. A lot of full pay families also spread out payments all year. It can help to spread it out over the course of the year.

We have income similar to OP and received $5k from NCS and $40k from STA (the schools decided their awards completely independent of each other). STA has very generous aid. we have friends at both Sidwell and GDS at our income and they did not receive anything or received $5kish as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our oldest and their spouse make the same as OP and sent their kid to public elementary school EOTP. After concluding reluctantly that the local middle and high schools weren’t viable options, they started playing the lottery and applying to privates. It was the last thing they wanted to do because they really didn’t want their kids going to school with a bunch of rich kids, plus they honestly didn’t want to put such a huge dent in their lifestyle. There are lots of things that can be done with kids with that kind of money that can benefit their growth just as much as private education.

Long story short, their kid got into several well known privates in DC but with virtually no financial aid. One very good school upped their offer to $10k in the end, but that still left a price tag of $40k plus and would only go up and they didn’t want to pay it. In the end, they sweated through the lottery and landed at a good option.

We have a lot more money than they do and we are very close with our grandkids. They never asked us to help and we never considered it. I think they knew we shared their philosophical revulsion at the idea of elite private schooling and also knew that we knew it was their choice entirely to live in the school district where they do.

Move along…

NP. It’s philosophically revolting yes. And if I were a parent who had to rely on my parents to pay my child’s private school tuition I’d be embarrassed.

Grandparents paying school tuition is a way to transfer future inheritance earlier. Plenty of people who can afford private still have grandparents paying. Nothing to be embarrassed of.

I grew up poor...went to scrappy commuter college and law school. Same for my DH. We are rich now. Rest assured I wanted a better life for my kids and grandkids.I will gladly pay their private school tuitions. I bet the holier than thou posters deriding private never went to an urban public in the hood like I did.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m a fed, DH works at a non-profit. We make 310 combined. 750k mortgage. No other debt. We want to send our two kids private, but at $40-50k a year per kid it doesn’t seem possible. Is there anyone in our situation that actually found a way to make this work?

You may get FA especially at a Big 3 or other wealthy school that has a large endowment. NCS does a good job in bringing in more "middle" income (for DC that is - anywhere else you are considered top tier). I assume they give some financial aid to these families and the rest you can pay over a 10 month payment plan. A lot of full pay families also spread out payments all year. It can help to spread it out over the course of the year.

We have income similar to OP and received $5k from NCS and $40k from STA (the schools decided their awards completely independent of each other). STA has very generous aid. we have friends at both Sidwell and GDS at our income and they did not receive anything or received $5kish as well.

STA's endowment is twice the size of NCS's.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our oldest and their spouse make the same as OP and sent their kid to public elementary school EOTP. After concluding reluctantly that the local middle and high schools weren’t viable options, they started playing the lottery and applying to privates. It was the last thing they wanted to do because they really didn’t want their kids going to school with a bunch of rich kids, plus they honestly didn’t want to put such a huge dent in their lifestyle. There are lots of things that can be done with kids with that kind of money that can benefit their growth just as much as private education.

Long story short, their kid got into several well known privates in DC but with virtually no financial aid. One very good school upped their offer to $10k in the end, but that still left a price tag of $40k plus and would only go up and they didn’t want to pay it. In the end, they sweated through the lottery and landed at a good option.

We have a lot more money than they do and we are very close with our grandkids. They never asked us to help and we never considered it. I think they knew we shared their philosophical revulsion at the idea of elite private schooling and also knew that we knew it was their choice entirely to live in the school district where they do.

Move along…

NP. It’s philosophically revolting yes. And if I were a parent who had to rely on my parents to pay my child’s private school tuition I’d be embarrassed.

Grandparents paying school tuition is a way to transfer future inheritance earlier. Plenty of people who can afford private still have grandparents paying. Nothing to be embarrassed of.

I grew up poor...went to scrappy commuter college and law school. Same for my DH. We are rich now. Rest assured I wanted a better life for my kids and grandkids.I will gladly pay their private school tuitions. I bet the holier than thou posters deriding private never went to an urban public in the hood like I did.

THIS. If I’m able I’ll gladly pay my grandkids tuition one day!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our oldest and their spouse make the same as OP and sent their kid to public elementary school EOTP. After concluding reluctantly that the local middle and high schools weren’t viable options, they started playing the lottery and applying to privates. It was the last thing they wanted to do because they really didn’t want their kids going to school with a bunch of rich kids, plus they honestly didn’t want to put such a huge dent in their lifestyle. There are lots of things that can be done with kids with that kind of money that can benefit their growth just as much as private education.

Long story short, their kid got into several well known privates in DC but with virtually no financial aid. One very good school upped their offer to $10k in the end, but that still left a price tag of $40k plus and would only go up and they didn’t want to pay it. In the end, they sweated through the lottery and landed at a good option.

We have a lot more money than they do and we are very close with our grandkids. They never asked us to help and we never considered it. I think they knew we shared their philosophical revulsion at the idea of elite private schooling and also knew that we knew it was their choice entirely to live in the school district where they do.

And, here you are desperately posting on the private school forum. Wannabe!

Lol if I was a Wannabe I’d just write the check!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My children went through private K-8 and now are in a private HS (the 50k ones). I would not scrimp and save to put them in private with the good schools around here. We have a very high net worth where we can easily afford it, but if I were you I would go public all the way. Put that money into retirement.

I totally agree with this. Having one kid in both public and private and we can swing it without much impact to our life, but private is not the panacea many who pay for it make it out to be. There's alot of great public options. Move if you have to and make public work.

This response always gets me. How is it easier for people to move to a better school district than to afford private? Housing prices in many better school districts are astronomical. I'm in a not so great school district and our housing is still insane. Additionally just moving affects so many other parts of your life than just school. What about commute? What about friends? Activities? This is not the easy answer people on here seem to think it is.

Do you live in the DMV? There are plenty of neighborhoods in the city where prices are through the roof even though the schools aren’t good. Folks there could easily sell and move to good public school districts. Happens all the time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m a fed, DH works at a non-profit. We make 310 combined. 750k mortgage. No other debt. We want to send our two kids private, but at $40-50k a year per kid it doesn’t seem possible. Is there anyone in our situation that actually found a way to make this work?

You can’t afford it….

Need another $100k of income